Let It Burn
by Hopefox
Summary: The Everfree Forest is on fire, and everypony wants to help, but Princess Celestia forbids anypony from entering the forest. Can Twilight Sparkle and her friends simply stand back and watch the forest burn, and its inhabitants suffer?


The skies above the Everfree Forest act as they will, without anypony to shepherd the wind and clouds. The ponies of Ponyville pay no heed to the weather in the forest, save to keep it from encroaching on their homes and farmlands.

Therefore, nopony cared about the brief but noisy storm that raged over the western edge of the forest. Lightning struck many times during the night, accompanied by the howling of timber wolves and the enraged cries of other beasts stalking the forest, whose prey had been driven into shelter by the storm.

A giant pine tree had been struck by the storm's lightning, for daring to grow taller than the trees around it. It had lost half of its needles in the initial strike, but when the storm blew away and the rain receded, an intense heat still smouldered beneath its bark, and in the midst of the litter crowded around its roots.

As the sun rose and dried the leaves of the forest with its golden rays, this lingering heat burst forth and consumed its host, its remaining needles bursting into flame. The fire raced through the pine tree's branches, and then jumped to its neighbours.

An hour later, the sky above the forest was filled with smoke, and the red glow of the fire could be seen from Ponyville.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash was relaxing on the sofa in her cloud home when she saw the glow from her eastern window. She paid no attention to it, until the wind brought the first wisps of smoke to her nose. She rushed to the window and looked out, taking a few moments to process what she was seeing before she raised the alarm.<p>

"FIRE!"

Rainbow rushed to Fluttershy's cottage, dragging a huge raincloud behind her. She hammered on the door with her hooves, yelling to get her fellow pegasus's attention. "Fluttershy! Wake up!" she shouted, hovering just in front of the door and craning her neck to watch the forest.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Fluttershy called through the door. Her head poked out a moment later, her pink curls crowding over her face. "Rainbow Dash? What's going on?"

"Look!" cried Rainbow, grabbing Fluttershy's head with both front hooves and turning her to face the forest.

Fluttershy's eyes went wide as she took in the large plume of smoke rising from the forest. "D... d... dragon!" she squeaked, her wings fluttering as she tried to disappear back into her cottage. Rainbow Dash dug in her back hooves and dragged Fluttershy out of the doorway.

"Fluttershy, pay attention! It's not a dragon, it's the Everfree Forest, and it's on fire! I mean maybe a dragon started the fire, I don't know, but it's on fire and it's spreading!"

The yellow pegasus gasped and squirmed out of Rainbow's grip, taking to the air. "All those poor animals! We have to go and rescue them, and bring them back here! I'll get started right away!" She started to flit towards the forest, but squealed as Rainbow's jaws snapped shut on her tail and yanked her back.

"No, Fluttershy! You can't go in there alone! The Everfree Forest isn't safe for anypony by herself, even when it's not on fire! I need you to go wake up Twilight and the Mayor. We need everypony in town on this. I need Weather Patrol backup, and you need the rest of the animal crew. I'm going to start bringing clouds in, but you have to get everypony else involved."

Fluttershy stood on the ground, still watching the forest with her jaw agape, until Rainbow boosted her into the air towards Ponyville with a shove of her hooves. "Go, Fluttershy! Now!" She latched her jaws into the cloud she was carrying and sped off towards the Everfree Forest.

* * *

><p>To Twilight Sparkle's credit, it took her less than a minute to be on her hooves and racing towards the town hall, Spike bouncing on her back. Fluttershy sped ahead to rouse the Mayor while Twilight issued instructions to Spike.<p>

"As soon as we get to the town square, Spike, I need you to write to Princess Celestia. I've never seen a fire in the Everfree Forest before, not this close to Ponyville! We'll need to get her advice as quickly as we can."

"Got it!" said Spike, keeping one clawed hand wrapped around Twilight's mane as the other clutched their writing materials. "Then what?"

"Then, I need you to go into the town hall and get some records. I need the last Winter Wrap-Up team rosters, and the most up-to-date map of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest you can find."

A crowd was already forming in the town square as Twilight and Spike arrived. Fluttershy was hovering anxiously by the Mayor's side as she called the town together. Spike tumbled from Twilight's back and passed her clipboard into her waiting magical grasp, then bent about the task of scribbling a hasty note to the Princess. The crowd milled about worriedly, pointing up at the smoke billowing out of the forest, and the evil red glow that lit it from below.

"Everypony remain calm!" beseeched the Mayor, banging her hooves on the podium for attention. "We are safe now, but we need to act quickly to protect our homes and the animals and plants around us!" She breathed a sigh of relief when Twilight approached her. "In this crisis, I want everypony to follow Twilight Sparkle's orders. We can put out this fire and save the forest if we all work together!"

"Thank you, Mayor," said Twilight, nudging the older mare's shoulder comfortingly with her nose. She turned to face the crowd, resting her front hooves on the podium. "Alright, everypony! I've written to Princess Celestia for advice on dealing with this fire, and I expect an answer from her very soon!" A sigh of relief spread through the crowd at this news. "Until then, though, here's the plan!

"Rainbow Dash is already bringing rainclouds in from the rest of Ponyville to put out the fire. It's too big a job for one pony, though, by far! The smoke will make it dangerous, and the fire is creating updrafts that will fight the clouds we put there! I want the entire weather team –" she stopped and lifted a scroll that Spike had just retrieved from the town hall, scanning its contents. "The entire weather team needs to work together on this. Lily Blossom, take the weather pegasi with names from A to Q and start pushing clouds over the forest. Rainbow Dash..."

Just then, Rainbow Dash came streaming back from the forest, smelling of smoke. "Rainbow Dash! You take the rest of the weather team and fight the smoke. You need to keep the skies clear for Lily Blossom and her team to work. Can you do that?"

"Can we ever!" exclaimed Rainbow, but her confident cry was cut short by a painful cough. "Ugh, all that smoke..."

"That's my next point. Rarity! Take the ponies on this list and start making masks for the flight teams. Get ten unicorns to cut out the masks, and the others can set up a bucket chain to keep them wet. Flight teams, report to Rarity every time your masks dry up. Got it?"

"I'm on the task, Twilight!" replied Rarity, drawing herself upright. "Oh, Sweetie Belle? You're allowed to raid my supplies now! Bring me all of the linen in my stores, and the thin cotton, too!" Sweetie Belle raced off towards the Carousel Boutique, skipping in joy at being useful even in such dire circumstances.

"Alright. Now it gets dangerous. Even more dangerous. Fluttershy, there are a lot of animals in the Everfree Forest, and they're all in a lot of danger, but the forest still isn't safe for us. So here's a list of the animal team, but nopony is to go into the forest without a pony from this list to accompany them. Get masks from Rarity, and stay together. Pair up, and don't break your pairs."

"Y... yes, Twilight," stammered Fluttershy as she took the list. Even as she trembled at the thought of entering the forest, she stood up tall and began calling her assigned ponies together.

Twilight turned back to face the remaining ponies who had not yet been assigned to a task, and referred to the map at her side. "Everypony else is charged with making sure the fire doesn't reach Ponyville. Sweet Apple Acres and Golden Carrot Fields are too close to the forest for comfort, and there are houses not much further away than that. There's only a hundred yards of grass between them at the nearest point. The fire could run across that. You need to start digging a firebreak. If any fire gets through, put it out before it can spread any further.

"Mr and Mrs Cake! You and Pinkie Pie are in charge of keeping everypony fed and, I can't say this enough, hydrated. If you've still got cider left, dilute it with five parts water and give that to everypony working in or near the fire. Keep the food coming. Nurse Redheart, be prepared to accept burn victims, smoke inhalation cases and ponies who've been attacked by monsters in the forest. I'll coordinate everything from here, and... ah ha!"

Twilight's eyes lit up as a jet of fire burst from Spike's mouth and coalesced into a scroll. "Princess Celestia's written back already! I knew she wouldn't let us down!"

She unfurled the scroll and began reading. As her eyes tracked across the writing, the colour and excitement drained from her face. She placed the scroll on the podium and secured it with a trembling hoof.

"I'm... I'm sorry, everypony. There's been a change of plans."

* * *

><p>Twilight read Princess Celestia's letter aloud, her voice weak with shock.<p>

"_To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,_

_Do not intervene in the Everfree Forest. I know that you and your friends all wish to help, but the Everfree Forest must be left to its own devices. Do not enter the forest – act only to protect Ponyville from the fire._

_I will explain more when there is time. Until then, everypony must understand that it is of utmost importance not to interfere with the forest. You must let it burn._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Princess Celestia"_

The crowd all stared at Twilight, appalled. Nopony spoke for several seconds after she finished reading out the letter.

"So... Fluttershy, your team should get ready to look after any animals that come out of the forest to get away from the fire, but you can't go into the forest yourselves. Stay near Ponyville and –"

"No."

Fluttershy stepped forward from where she had been assembling her team, and stared up at the podium defiantly. "I'm not going to leave those animals in there to die, Twilight. I just can't."

Twilight looked down at Fluttershy, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But... but Fluttershy... the Princess said very clearly..."

"I know what the Princess said, Twilight," replied Fluttershy, her body shaking. "But even if she banishes me from Equestria, or throws me in prison, or banishes me and then throws me in prison in the place she banishes me to, I have to help those animals. There are thousands of birds and snakes and bunnies and... and..." She paused to bury her muzzle in her hooves, sobbing. "I just can't let them all die, Twilight! Princess Celestia has to understand that!"

"I'm sure she does, Fluttershy, but... she said 'utmost importance'. We can't just disobey her!"

"I can, and I have to." Fluttershy turned to her team. "I'm going into the Everfree Forest now. Will anypony come with me?"

There was a quick, murmured discussion among Fluttershy's team of animal workers and hardy foresters, and five earth ponies detached themselves from the group and lined up behind Fluttershy. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I'll make sure the Princess doesn't blame you for this. It's not your fault." The six ponies galloped off towards the Everfree Forest, heads lowered in determination.

Twilight turned back to face the remaining crowd. Her voice trembled now, her confidence shaken by Princess Celestia's orders and Fluttershy's rebellion. "The rest of us still have work to do. Animal team, get ready to take care of animals that come out of the forest. Weather team, we need rain along the edge of Ponyville facing the forest, so the fire can't escape. Rainbow Dash, are you still with us?"

Rainbow Dash was hovering high above the crowd, turning her attention from the forest to Twilight and back. "Fluttershy's right, Twilight. We can't just let the forest burn."

Twilight groaned and put a hoof to her forehead. "Rainbow! Princess Celestia knows best! I don't want those animals and plants to die any more than you do, but we have to follow her orders!"

"And what about Zecora, Twilight? What if she's still in there? Do we let her die too?"

Twilight's jaw fell open. "Zecora! I almost forgot about her!" She looked from the letter to Rainbow Dash, biting her lip as she tried to make a difficult decision.

"Alright. Take one raincloud – only one – and use it for cover when you go check on Zecora. Help her out of the forest however you can, but don't stop to do anything else in the forest, alright?"

Rainbow nodded grimly. "I'll make sure she gets out. Lily Blossom, you're in charge of the weather team now." She looped up into the sky, pressed her shoulder into a large raincloud, and sped off to the forest. Lily Blossom rallied her team together and led them to the fields bordering the forest, accompanied by her pet swan and the team's other helper animals.

"Everypony else, your orders remain the same. Make sure Ponyville is safe from the fire. Build firebreaks to the east of the farms, and support the other teams as best you can. Applejack, you're at Sweet Apple Acres, of course. Rarity, masks. Pinkie Pie... come and see me once everypony else is underway.

"That's all, everypony. Let's... go protect Ponyville." The teams galloped off to their positions while Twilight walked slowly away from the podium, her head hanging low. A gust of wind swept up Princess Celestia's letter and carried it away to the west, unheeded.

Pinkie Pie bounced in front of Twilight, while Spike and the Mayor stood a short distance back from them. "What do you want me to do, Twilight? If it's more important than helping the Cakes get food for the teams then it must be super important! Am I going on a secret mission to put out the fire all by myself?"

Twilight shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "Pinkie... your mission is to give me a hug."

Pinkie tilted her head to one side, then grinned broadly and threw her forelegs around Twilight's neck. "I can do that, silly! Wow, that was easy. Does that mean I can take the rest of the day off?"

Twilight wrapped her own forelegs tightly around Pinkie's shoulders and pressed her face against her fluffy mane to muffle her sobs. "I can't do this, Pinkie. I've never felt so hobbled, so _helpless_, in my whole life! Everypony wants to help save the forest, but now Princess Celestia says we can't. I had a plan and everything! It was a _good plan_, Pinkie! We were going to make everything better, and now we... we just have to sit and watch the Everfree Forest burn. No matter what's happened before, there's always been something we could do. Now, it's as if we've failed before we even tried."

Pinkie Pie nuzzled her friend soothingly, letting her cry. "It's not so bad, Twilight. We are doing something. We're protecting Ponyville. And we're following the Princess's orders. You trust her, don't you?"

Twilight nodded, raising her head and brushing away some stray tears. "Of course I do! Always!"

"Then you have to trust that she knows what she's doing. She said she'll explain later. And we've still got each other. Nothing bad can happen when we're all working together."

"You're right, Pinkie. It'll be okay. I just feel so bad for the forest. And for Fluttershy." She turned to watch the ponies milling around the edge of the forest, and the growing cloud of smoke in the sky. "I hope Princess Celestia isn't too mad at her for disobeying her orders."

* * *

><p>Fluttershy and her team of five earth ponies trekked through the edges of the Everfree Forest, looking for animals. Some had already begun to flee the smell of smoke, running for the fields near Ponyville. Others had taken refuge in trees and burrows, and it was those that they were there to find.<p>

"Please come out, small friends," begged Fluttershy, her voice muffled by the damp linen mask Rarity had given her. "I know you're scared, but if you stay here, you'll... you'll die." She forced herself to say the dreaded words, and tried not to think about the fate waiting for the animals closer to the fire. Her earth pony companions spread out through the trees, looking for more animals to rescue.

Fluttershy sniffed the air, detecting the distinct scent of a badger sett under the stench of smoke filling the forest. She cast around the foliage until she found the burrow entrance, and poked her head into the hole. "Hello? Badgers? Is anyone still in there? There's a fire coming, you need to evacuate!"

A chorus of angry, frightened grunts came from the depths of the burrow, and Fluttershy could barely see a few dim shapes moving in the darkness. "Please, you have to come out!" Fluttershy called, hoping against hope that the animals would respond to her calming voice and follow her instructions.

A black and white striped head poked out of the warren and snarled at Fluttershy, snapping its jaws at her nose. Quick as a flash, Fluttershy ducked out of the way of the bite and latched her own jaws onto the badger's scruff, hauling him out of the sett and depositing him on the ground at her hooves. "Please, sir, I know you're frightened, but you have to come with me!" She knelt at the badger's side and stroked his fur with her hooves, keeping her muzzle away from his sharp claws and teeth. Fluttershy had had difficulty dealing with animals who had broken limbs in the past, but she had never seen wild animals quite this frightened.

"Is there anyone else in there? I can't leave without all of you!" Fluttershy raised a fetlock to her mouth and coughed – some smoke was still getting through her mask. The badger boar squirmed on the ground, but she kept him pinned with one hoof, careful not to hurt him. Over the next few minutes, Fluttershy managed to coax the rest of the badger family out of their sett, by which time the boar had calmed down enough to stop trying to bite the yellow pegasus.

The other ponies joined Fluttershy as she gathered the badger family up, the boar cradled in one foreleg while the sow and cubs clung to her back. One of the earth ponies had snakes twined in his mane and around his neck, while another was covered with a cloud of frightened sparrows. The ponies looked at each other grimly, then over their shoulders at the deeper forest.

Fluttershy swallowed hard. "We need to get back to Ponyville with these animals," she said, grinding her free front hoof into the dirt. "We can... we can come back for the others once these ones are safe." She saw signs of movement deeper in the forest, and closed her eyes. "We'll save as many as we can."

* * *

><p>Applejack was supervising a line of ponies digging a trench between the Everfree Forest and Sweet Apple Acres when the renegade animal team returned from the forest. She left Big Macintosh digging and galloped over to Fluttershy, relieving her of the badger boar. "Glad to see you in one piece, sugar cube," she greeted her friend, leading her over to the refreshment station. "Get some cider in you – you'll need the water and the sugar. What's it like in there?"<p>

"Oh, it's awful, Applejack," admitted Fluttershy, passing the rest of the badgers into the care of other animal workers. "The smoke just keeps getting thicker, and there are so many animals in there... I don't think we can save them all." She looked at the animal workers who were taking care of the animals who had escaped. "Especially with only six of us," she muttered, a touch of bitterness creeping into her usually gentle voice.

Applejack plied Fluttershy with watered down cider and a large slice of apple pie, then filled her saddlebags with loose apples. "It's a darn tragedy, that's what it is. I reckon it's real brave of ya'll to be goin' in there, what with the smoke an' all. Still, Princess Celestia said..."

Fluttershy withdrew her muzzle from the mug of cider and turned up her nose. "I know very well what Princess Celestia said, thank you, Applejack," she said, her voice sharp and clipped. "Rarity? A new mask, please." Rarity raised one of the masks from a vat where they were soaking, and tied it around Fluttershy's muzzle with her magic. Without another word, she rejoined her team and led them back into the forest.

Applejack sighed, putting the empty mug of cider back onto a small wagon and hitching herself to it. "Poor girl. I ain't never seen her like this."

Rarity nodded, giving Applejack a gentle nuzzle. "I'm sure it's her first time committing treason, Applejack. I do hope Princess Celestia has a good reason for all of this. It's all a bit dreadful. I just think of all the birds who might be caught in there... I may not need to make as many nests next Winter Wrap-Up." She levitated a silk handkerchief to her face and dabbed at her eyes.

"We just gotta sit tight and follow orders, Rarity. And I'm gonna stop Fluttershy from goin' back into that forest if the fire gets too close, no matter what she says. I ain't gonna risk her life on this. Same goes for Rainbow Dash. I hope she's found Zecora by now."

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash drove her raincloud over where she estimated Zecora's hut lay in the forest. Her aerial navigation skills were second to none, but walking around under the forest canopy, out of sight of the sky, made it difficult to trace her route on her few journeys to the hut. Still, her best guess said that this was the spot. She clambered on top of the raincloud and jumped up and down on it, setting it to release its burden of rain over the next ten minutes. Normally making rain was one of her favourite parts of the job, but today the task took on a grim seriousness.<p>

The cyan pegasus jumped off the cloud once the rain started, spread out her wings and carefully spiralled down through the forest canopy. She had to bank sharply to the left when a large snake snapped at her from a nearby branch, but reached the ground without incident. Looking around, she found that she could barely see Zecora's hut through the trees. The fire had not reached this part of the forest, but smoke was already filling the air.

Rainbow folded her wings and walked quickly but carefully through the trees to the hut, hammering on the door. "Zecora! Are you in there?" she called. "It's me, Rainbow Dash! We're evacuating the forest!"

A muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "You should not have come this way! It is here that I must stay."

"Stay here?" Rainbow Dash pounded on the door again. "You must be joking, Zecora! The whole forest is on fire! I don't care what kind of kooky zebra magic you're working in there, you'll die if you stay here!"

No answer came from inside the hut, so Rainbow Dash nudged the door with her nose. It refused to budge. Rainbow muttered at Zecora's stubbornness and spun around, kicking the door squarely with both hind hooves. The latch on the other side of the door snapped from its mooring and the door burst open.

Zecora had been sitting cross-legged in front of her unlit cooking pit, but she jumped to her hooves when Rainbow Dash burst into her hut. "This forest will soon be naught but ash," she cried, gesturing to the smoke outside her window. "Why have you come here, Rainbow Dash?"

"I'm here to save your life, Zecora!" insisted Rainbow, stomping her hooves on the dirt floor of the hut. "Princess Celestia says we're not allowed to put out the fire, so we have to get you out of here!"

"I will go nowhere today," replied Zecora, pacing around her hut. "It is here that I must stay."

"Fine! You want to do this the hard way, we'll do this the hard way! I'm not going to let you die in here, Zecora!" Rainbow rushed forward and tackled the zebra, wrapping her front legs around her neck and chest.

"You know not what you do!" cried Zecora as she tussled with Rainbow Dash, but her lean frame was no match for the pegasus's strength and agility. "I must stay and see this through!"

"Ugh, you're as stubborn as Pinkie Pie!" groaned Rainbow. She slowly forced Zecora out of the hut and onto the narrow trail leading back to Ponyville. "I can't even fly with your weight, not if you're going to fight me all the way!"

Zecora said nothing until they were on the trail, then stopped struggling. "Very well, Rainbow Dash – I shall follow your will. Let us return to Ponyville."

"Finally, you're talking sense!" muttered Rainbow, setting Zecora down on her own hooves. "Let's get out of here before the smoke gets to us both."

They walked along the path in silence for several minutes, moving as quickly as they could through the overgrown forest. When they were halfway to the edge of the forest, Rainbow stopped and coughed loudly. "This smoke gets everywhere! I can hardly see, let alone breathe!"

Zecora flicked her tail and reached into the sash at her side, pulling out a few small leaves. "Then take these herbs that I have here. They will help to keep your lungs quite clear."

"Well, why didn't you say so! Gimme those," snapped Rainbow, stuffing the leaves into her mouth and chewing. "Hey, these actually taste okay. Kinda sweet."

Zecora nodded silently and walked along the path with Rainbow for a few more minutes. Rainbow found herself yawning, and her vision began to blur. "Woah, I'm getting sleepy, like I'm not getting enough air. You sure those were the right herbs?"

The zebra leaned her flank against Rainbow's as the pegasus suddenly found herself unable to keep walking or even raise her head. Without a word, she lifted Rainbow up onto her back and trotted out of the forest with her.

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle walked up and down the line of ponies digging firebreaks outside the forest, supervising the work and keeping an eye on the fire. There was more smoke escaping the trees now, but the fire had not yet reached them. By her estimate, the firebreaks would be more than enough to keep the farms and houses safe.<p>

She periodically stopped and raised her binoculars to her eyes, scanning the treeline for the animal team or Rainbow Dash. She had watched Fluttershy and her team enter and leave the forest several times, always laden with more animals, and looking more and more exhausted every time. There had been no sign of Rainbow Dash, though.

A sudden movement from the undergrowth caught her attention, and she focused her binoculars on it. "Applejack, look!" she called out, raising one hoof to point. "It's Zecora! And Rainbow Dash!"

Applejack and Twilight ran forward to meet their friends, but gasped in concern when they saw that Zecora was carrying Rainbow Dash on her back. "Rainbow Dash! What happened, Zecora?"

Zecora knelt down and rolled Rainbow onto her side. The pegasus groggily raised her head, glaring at Zecora. "You stupid mule! I tried to save your life, and you drugged me!"

Zecora placed one hoof against Rainbow's shoulder apologetically, looking into her eyes. "I am sorry, my loyal friend, but all things must have their end. The Everfree Forest and I are one, and my final journey has begun."

Twilight bit her lip, looking at Zecora pleadingly. "Zecora, you're... you're not going to go back in there, are you? You can stay here, we can build you a new hut!"

Zecora shook her head. "I only act by the will of this land. Ask your Princess – she will understand." She waved her hoof to indicate the three ponies, and then all of Ponyville, while tears glistened in her eyes. "Your friendship, all, has warmed my heart. But here, and now, I must... depart." She leaned forward and hugged Twilight and Applejack tightly, then turned and walked back towards the forest.

Applejack started to move after Zecora, but Twilight laid a hoof on her flank. "Let her go, Applejack. She knows what she's doing. She always has."

Twilight stood and watched Zecora step into the forest. The smoke seemed to coalesce around her as she entered, shrouding her from sight. Twilight turned and pressed her head against Applejack's mane, whimpering.

* * *

><p>Flames could be seen barely a hundred yards into the forest when Fluttershy and her team came running out of the treeline, covered in birds, snakes and small mammals. A pack of wolves ran alongside them, and a small family of bears lumbered behind them. They galloped to the Ponyville side of the firebreak and collapsed, the animals scattering.<p>

Nurse Redheart trotted up to the team and started administering wet cloths and medicine for smoke inhalation. Fluttershy allowed Mrs Cake to give her another mug of watery cider to drink, then struggled to her hooves again. "I can make one more trip," she panted. "There was a family of squirrels hiding in a tree that was almost at the edge of the fire. It'll only take a few minutes!"

"You can't be serious, Fluttershy!" replied Mrs Cake. "The fire's almost reached the edge of the forest! You'll be burned alive if you go back in there!"

"I have to try," Fluttershy insisted. "I might be able to save just one more family of animals if I hurry!"

"No can do, sugar cube," stated Applejack, trotting up behind Fluttershy. "That forest is just about done for. The fire's gonna come out into the fields any minute now. Any critters in there are gonna be... they're dead, Fluttershy. You can't save any more of them."

Fluttershy turned and looked at the forest. The pall of smoke hung thickly across the field, and they could now see the dim shapes of individual trees catching fire. She fell to her knees and sobbed, allowing Applejack to settle down next to her and comfort her.

* * *

><p>As the sun sank below the western horizon, the final trees on the edge of the forest caught light, and the fire raced across the grassy field towards Ponyville. The ponies digging the firebreaks had done their work well, though, and though the town was flooded with smoke, no fire touched their fields or homes. Twilight set a roster of ponies to watching the fire overnight, to make sure nothing crossed the line. The unicorn herself dozed fitfully within sight of the forest, accompanied by Applejack and Fluttershy, and watched over by Spike. The forest glowed dully throughout the night, as the fire spent itself on the charred remains of the trees.<p>

By morning, the forest was still. The choking smoke had lifted from the forest and town, and the first pony teams were able to inspect the damage to the forest. Shortly after the sun rose, Spike handed Twilight a new letter from Princess Celestia, which she read silently and then passed back to him.

* * *

><p><em>To my beloved pupil, Twilight Sparkle,<em>

_I promised I would write again when I could properly explain to you the reasons for my order regarding the Everfree Forest. I had desperately hoped that such an event would not have happened until you were much older._

Twilight and Fluttershy walked hesitantly through the charred remains of the Everfree Forest. Not a bird could be heard in the air, nor any creature running underhoof. Never had they seen the forest so still. The trees were black with charcoal on their trunks and branches, and the grass was only so much ash on the ground.

_We ponies call the Everfree Forest unnatural, but in truth, it is we who live outside the natural order. The world outside Equestria is a terrifying place, fit only for dragons and other mighty creatures. Through friendship and harmony, we have created a home for the pony race which is safe and comfortable, and through magic and hard work, we are blessed with pleasant weather and bountiful fields._

The two ponies stopped at a tree that they recognised from Granny Smith's tales – the wild tree that bore the first zap apple fruit. The tree was a lifeless mass now, denuded of fruit and leaves, its roots shrivelled and blackened. The charred remains of a pair of timber wolves lay nearby, reduced to charcoal themselves.

_The Everfree Forest lives outside what we do. Pacts were made when ponies first learned to tame the land, thousands of years before my time. I know not who made these pacts, or with whom – dragons, spirits of nature, the Sun and Moon themselves, perhaps. But I am charged with upholding these agreements, and one of them is that the Everfree Forest is to be untouched, ever free from our influence._

Fluttershy ran up to a tree she recognised, flitting into the air to peer inside a hollow in it. She reached in one hoof, hoping that her squirrel friends still survived, but then recoiled in horror. Twilight wisely refrained from asking her what she had found.

_In nature, animals live and die by the whims of the land and the animals and plants around them. In nature, trees grow, bear fruit, and die, seeding other trees in turn. In nature, the weather does as it will, and the whole land lives and dies by its whim. Fire is but one of the forces that rules nature._

Every few minutes, Fluttershy came across a fallen tree or a warren that may have once housed animals, animals that might have been her friends. Nowhere did she find any sign of life. She leant against Twilight as they walked, too exhausted, and in too much despair, even to cry.

_Fluttershy has already written to me, confessing to what she did yesterday. Please tell her that I intend no punishment for her actions. What she has seen, and will see, shall be punishment enough._

Fluttershy sank to the ground as they entered a familiar clearing, unable to go on any longer. Twilight nuzzled her friend gently, then walked cautiously forward towards the charred remains of a wooden structure.

_I placed the duty of watching the forest upon my faithful servant, who bore my symbol as her cutie mark. She has lived in the forest, with the forest, all of her life. Like the animals and plants of the forest, she is ruled by nature, and as the forest suffers, so must she suffer. You have been her loyal friend, and I deeply regret that you must say goodbye to her so soon._

Twilight carefully lifted the blackened wooden boards away from the pile, sifting through the ruins of Zecora's hut. She found a pair of hardwood masks that had not completely burned, and placed them aside, unsure of what to do with them. The zebra's cauldron was mostly intact, though it was still blisteringly hot to the touch.

_This is the nature of our world, and neither you nor I have the power to change it. All we can do is build our tiny paradise, and allow nature to run its course elsewhere. The Everfree Forest will always be a reminder of what we have escaped, what we have left behind._

Twilight cleared away the last of the charred planks, wincing at the strong smell of charcoal in the air. All that remained in the circle of ash-covered dirt was an equine skull and a small pile of bones. Twilight began to lift them, then shook her head and simply swept the dirt and ashes back over them, letting her tears fall freely onto the ground.

_I am so sorry that you had to learn this lesson at such a young age. Always remember what you have seen today._

_Your loving mentor,_

_Princess Celestia_


End file.
